Table 1.

Efficacy of various snake antivenins.

Study	Efficacy	Mild reactions (%)	Serum sickness	Anaphylaxis
Otero et al. Bothrops whole IgG [48]	67/67 treated: coagulopathy reversed 48H	15–24	nil	nil
Thomas et al. BothropsF(ab′) [49]	45 cases treated vs. 27 no treatment Treatment favoured: • mortality (nil vs. 22%) • neurological complications (nil vs. 3%) • shorter hospitalisation • fasciotomy requirement unchanged		4.4%	2.2%
Thomas et al. Bothrops F(ab′) [50]	68 treated vs. 64 untreated Treatment favoured: • Mortality (nil vs. 12.5%) • Reduced coagulopathy (nil vs. 17.5%), • Reduced thrombosis (nil vs. 28.1%) • Shorter hospital stay (5 days vs. 12	5.9	1.5%	1.5%
Ha et al. Bungarusmulticinctus F(ab′) [51]	27 treated vs. 54 untreated Treatment favoured (in days): • Duration of limb paralysis (2.2 vs. 7.5) • Diaphragm palsy (1.6 vs. 7.0) • Duration of ptosis (3.5 vs. 6.3) • Duration of ventilation (2.3 vs. 8.6) • ICU stay (6.1 vs. 11.6)	7.4	nil	nil
Chippaux et al. Polyvalent F(ab)2IPSER AFRICA (Pasteur Merieux Connaught, Lyon, France) [52]	223 patients Cure rate 96.3% Fatality rate 1.3%	6.3	0.4%	0.4%
Chippaux et al. Polyvalent F(ab)2 FAV-Africa (Pasteur Merieux Connaught, Lyon, France)[53]	46 patients All survived	4	nil	nil
Chippaux et al. Polyvalent F(ab′)2 AfricanAntivipmyn (Laboratorios Silanes, Mexico City, Mexico) [54]	289 patients Survival rate 99.3% Fatality rate 0.7%	19	nil	nil